Monday, December 8, 2014

The North American Hand built bicycle show is a concept that
teems with potential and opportunity for the small independent frame builder. Never before has there been a vehicle that
affords the prospect of global awareness for hand built brands, creating
prospective customers outside the normally regional appeal our industry tends
to propagate.

During its tenure, the show has evolved from a small
gathering of fabricators and key suppliers to an assemblage of creative
companies, representing a broad view of the cycling industry. Though some have argued that the show has
lost its focus on the hand built bicycle as it has grown, the key platform and
interest for the individual fabricator has remained steadfast;

-

- - a venue that allows for direct interaction with
potential customers, facilitating the start of a business relationship in areas
outside the business’s normal geographic reach

- - Provides for an instructional medium within the
seminar framework, encouraging mentorship.

- - Creates a physical sense of community amongst
builders who typically labor in solitude.

It is with these benefits foremost
in mind that I feel supporting the show by consistent attendance should be a
priority in each builders business plan.
Fabricators working at capacity will not realize a Return on Investment
for participation that is tangible.
However, their participation does keep the industry in the eye of the
customer, provides a vehicle for new builders to find an audience, and invests
in the industry that has provided a living wage throughout a career. The show benefits all who engage in the
custom bicycle industry whether they attend or not, is there not a
responsibility to give back?

Much debate has transpired within the small hand built
community regarding the direction and administration of the show by its
Director/Owner, Don Walker. As a
business owner who is engaging in a relationship with Nahbs, I feel it is
important to recognize that in this circumstance, I am not only a customer, but
have an invested interest in the success and longevity of the show. To insure it’s opportunities continue to be
available to industry members, it is my responsibility to give feedback to
create an ever improving environment for positive change. For Nahbs to evolve as the leading marketing
medium for the small fabricator, I would recommend;

-

- A renewed focus on Customer Service to builders
that facilitates a sense of ownership/importance of Nahbs in their business
plan.

- - Affordability – Nahbs needs to establish a
financial model that enables attendance for its diverse range of exhibitors as
well as to provide a fiscal foundation for future existence. Tiered pricing that supports the independent
fabricator, as they are the focus of the show, facilitates annual attendance
due to consistent cost expectations.

- - Focus on the hand built fabricator by
centralizing their booth spaces to support each other. Surround the builders by their supply
partners, offering consumers a direct visual correlation of the goods that go
into the finished product. Ring the
event by ancillary vendors that bring the fun and accessories of every day
cycling to the marketing mix.

- - Professional development – many who attend the
show have an interest in someday entering the industry, it should be a goal of
this gathering to provide educational awareness and mentorship opportunities.

- - Equitable show location choices in top tier
cities, throughout the United States, proportionally locating between the
coasts and middle so no one has to travel across the country more than 2 years
in a row. Travel and logistics are the
largest portion of show participation costs, reduce the financial strain by
insuring equality in location choices.

- - Discontinue the Awards structure…encourage
builders to bring product that represents the typical work from their shop and
allow the crowds to provide affirmation through their ultimate choice in who
they wish to work with.

And as a personal note to Don…the strength of a man’s
character is often defined by his ability to let go of past transgressions and
accept people as they are, celebrating their strengths and supporting them when
they are in need. You have assumed the
mantel of an advocate for the custom bicycle fabricator, and subsequently, a
responsibility to lead. Do so with
honesty and respect for those you serve, and they will return it in kind.

In its short life, Nahbs has been responsible for launching
many new careers, fortifying existing business success, and bringing a global
awareness and recognition to the hand built industry. I have been pleased to be part of that
success and choose to continue to support the opportunities it presents.

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Here's the skinny on cranks for this year. I will be offering cranks in steel or titanium, lengths of 170mm - 190mm, with a four arm 104/74 spider or custom chain wheel configuration, for 68-73 width bottom brackets, in graphite black ceramic finish. If other options become available during the year, I will advise of such, but for now, that is where we are at.

There will no longer be any wholesale discounts available. Fewer units mean I need to maintain my margin to keep the lights on and the kid’s college tuition paid. Sorry.

I will be producing cranks three times this year.

As we are taking orders for the entirety of 2015, the spots will fill based on first come, first served, the first months run is already filled with previous orders. To secure a place in line, please send a $50 non-refundable deposit by Paypal to rody@groovycycleworks.com. Please note in the comments box the material (steel or Ti), length desired, and if you need a spider. Please insure your shipping address is correctly noted on your account. We will acknowledge your order and advise what month the cranks will ship as well as the final amount due when your item is ready. Not sure you want to commit without knowing your production date…drop me an email and we’ll let you know where we are at.

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

There are a few changes this season that I’d
like to review; first and foremost, I will only be producing Titanium bars from
this point forward. This decision was
not easy, as I do value a product range that allows a range of fiscal levels,
however, I just cannot physically continue to produce 400+ bars each year. Moving to titanium only will allow a product
that has the best blend of performance and durability, while allowing me to
produce fewer units and maintain some balance in my life.

Secondly, there is no longer an upcharge for width changes;
25” to 30” in even inch increments will all be the same price.
As I’m doing fewer units, I can absorb the time it takes to modify the
fixtures for individuals width needs.

Third, there will no longer be any wholesale discounts
available. Fewer units mean I need to
maintain my margin to keep the lights on and the kid’s college tuition
paid. Sorry.

I will be producing bars bi-monthly.

So, with the preamble out of the way, here’s how to order.

As we are taking orders for the entirety of 2015, the spots
will fill based on first come, first served.
To secure a place in line, please send a $50 non-refundable deposit by
Paypal to rody@groovycycleworks.com.
Please note in the comments box the
width desired, finish (blasted, brushed, ceramic, custom paint), and if a custom
shim is needed. Please insure your
shipping address is correctly noted on your account. We will acknowledge your order and advise
what month the bar will ship as well as the final amount due when your item is
ready. Not sure you want to commit
without knowing your production date…drop me an email and we’ll let you know
where we are at.

Thanks for your patience.

For those of you interested in Hot Rods, I’ll be
posting 2015 ordering info here on Friday!

Sunday, November 16, 2014

I get quite a few emails from folks asking for tips on the best way to sharpen their tungsten electrodes for TIG welding.

Rest assured, it is not necessary to spend a thousand dollars on a portable tungsten sharpener (a fancy Dremel tool with diamond bit and angled channel) to get consistent results.

A few pointers to keep in mind...

Avoid using sanding belts or stones that are available for general shop use. These mediums will accumulate debris from other operations and embed that into your tungsten, contaminating your electrode and subsequently your work piece. Instead, dedicate a diamond grinding wheel specifically for use as an electrode sharpener and use it for nothing else. If you are patient, you can find deals on these wheels, such as this... Enco diamond wheel

When sharpening an electrode, the striations left behind affect the ease with which the electrical current will travel down to the work piece, so the more you can keep those striations traveling along the length of the electrode (parallel) the more low current and start control of the arc you will retain. This is the primary reason it is ill advised to use the side of a grinding wheel with the electrode perpendicular to it's position, as it creates lateral rings that will inhibit the flow of the current.

I try to keep the length of my tips about 2.5 times the diameter of the electrode, forming to a nice sharp tip at the end. I prefer the sharpened tip to a flat tip due to the tight seams and low profile beads we tend to use in the bicycle industry.

Always wipe down your electrode with a bit of alcohol or acetone before placing it back into the torch to keep your electrical interface as tidy as possible.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

I continue to get a lot of inquiries regarding welding technique, varying from the ubiquitous "what are your settings" to "I saw a guy once do...is this right?" Sometimes these discussions occur in forum areas where I try to take a mentor-ship role in developing the knowledge and skills of those just dipping their toes into the trade. Here is a snippet I pulled from one such post that gives some of my perspective on the differing techniques used by professionals today...

This is where I choose to have a differing perspective, and why fabrication has so many paths to the same end.

Multiple elements have an effect on the overall creation of the fused joint that can be controlled by the operator; amperage, filler size, filler feed rate, rate of travel, angle of torch, and cleanliness.

The constants, however, are few: composition of the material, wall thickness of the pieces to be joined, heat dissipation properties of the material.

Joining the two takes an approach that is fine tuned by each operator, however the goal is the same; a cleanly welded joint that is solid through the root, creates a gentle transition between the two pieces without removing base material from the parent metal, and a gentle feathering of the filler on the edges.

Ideally, when welding thin walled bicycle tubing, the arc should be placed into the joint so as to create a keyhole, or an equal melting away from the joint's edges, that is then closed with the filler. As you travel forward, melting the material in front of your cooling puddle, your torch angle, distance from the joint, and rate of travel need to maintain consistency insuring you have full penetration, creating a solid/strong joint.

The master welders became so by learning two attributes; visually watching the changing elements of the keyhole/puddle and physically adjusting to maintain ideal conditions. This means that controlling heat input through the pedal, torch angle and distance, feed rate and travel speed, all becoming individual adjustments that factor into a cohesive whole.

The introduction of "pulsed" welding was intended to reduce overall heat input to the material, reducing HAZ and maintaining molecular stability. However, it was quickly adapted to creating a set of machine adjusted parameters that each operator found to be ideal for specific tasks. This is not to take away from the need to control the aforementioned elements, but it greatly reduced the need for on the fly changes, making it more efficient for the pro operator who is tasked with similar jobs frequently.

I have always been of the school of thought that I analyze the material properties I plan to join, set the machine amperage at the maximum I feel will be necessary for changing conditions (moving from varying wall thicknesses) and then use the pedal and individual physical adjustments to best react to the situation. This places the pedal most often in the middle of the travel range allowing for extended comfort and control, as the heat input can be increased or tapered off easily.

To create settings on the machine that mandates the pedal be "floored" for the majority of the pass takes away the ability to react, leaving only elements that have less effect, such as filler rate, to aid control.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that this is wrong, incorrect, or not efficient. Only that it is an adoption of a new philosophy of welding, one that I feel is less controlled by the instincts of the operator.

As a beginner, you need to focus on learning to watch the physical reaction of the base metal and what it means. Examine how it changes with faster travel, more filler, varying torch angle, etc... Only after you achieve an understanding of how YOU affect the material can you then begin to examine settings on a machine that ease the process.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

OIRL Race #3 took place at Findley State Park, Thorne Trail, a tight, twisty, root filled trail that began to push the rider's technical ability. Wrapping around a beautiful lake with fall colors just beginning to turn, it was a venue that begged the student athletes to push their limits.

A fast gravel start led into the woods and the single track. Guy Dagget dominated most of the race until a mechanical opened the door for Clayton, also of Hudson, to pass and take the race and series lead. The JV battle continued between Noah (MCC) and Paul (Wooster) for the top placings in the JV Mens category, with MCC sweeping most of the awards at the podium.

OIRL Race #4 stepped the technical and physical requirements up another notch, taking the high schoolers to Vulture's Knob, a tough race course known for it's short steep climbs, flowing downhill runs, and playful technical features. The home course for Wooster HS, they took advantage of it, with Gillian dominating the Varsity Womens field and Anastasia of MCC putting in a great performance on the most demanding trail she's raced at. St. Ignatius had a good showing as well, with all team members performing well. A big thank you to 331 Racing and Pro Gold for filling the prize table with goodies, and Clif products for feeding all the kids with nutritional items during the race...

The final course of the season, Camp Tuscazor, played host for OIRL #5. The series stress's progression in fitness and technical ability and brought that to full realization for the athletes when they pre-rode this venue. A short 1.8 mile course was laid out that was strewn with wet roots, rocks, and 500' of steep climbing per lap, giving the participants a 2500' gain in just 9 miles of racing. As the countdown commenced at the start line, a barrage of sleet and wind began, cutting to the bone...so glad the climbing kept them warm. Wooster High School had a commanding lead in the Varsity competition thanks to the pony tail trio...Sydney, Gillian, and Emily who had consistently dominated the female podium all season. The real race was for second, as Hudson and Montgomery County Composite came into the final race tied in points. A strong performance by Clayton, Guy and Ryan lifted Hudson above the efforts of the team from Dayton, securing second.

However, MCC's Noah Landis dominated the JV podium most of the season, cinching the state title for their team just 6 points ahead of Wooster.

Race #2 of the OIRL series took place in wet conditions at Reagan Park in Medina Ohio, a tight twisty course built for challenging advanced riders at speed or beginner/intermediates to become immersed in the sport.

The weather saw a few crashes that resulted in mechanical issues but all the kids finished riding or running across the finish line

Fantastic support from the local cycling community allowed us to insure the trail was safe and had abundant personnel on course to bolster the kids confidence.

Saturday, August 2, 2014

After almost two weeks straight of making bars, I'm down to just the final few...

I've been pushing hard to finish the balance of the bar orders for the year so I can focus solely on full builds and have finally reached the eventual burn out.

My compressor blowing it's thermal fuses was the stimulus I needed to take two partial days off and focus on something totally not bike related.

My grandfather had always painted, mostly farm/western scenes on slate that he had hand hewed for each piece. I have always felt that I pulled some of my artistic talent from him, so I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try something new.

This is my first attempt at brush and canvas, inspired by art on a pinball machine that tells the tale of a werewolf that threatens a small town: Silver Bullet.

I really learned a LOT working through the process. There are many things I would do differently the next time to improve the quality, but it was enjoyable to casually work away at it to take my mind off of life.

Now, with the compressor rigged to work for now, back to more of this...

Walter spends his free time
fabricating custom bike frames as the owner of Wooster-based Groovy
Cycleworks, which he started in 1994. He said he has long been
fascinated by cycling and began racing in local, regional and national
races during the late 1980s.

"I really enjoyed the freedom it
allowed," Walter said, explaining how cycling allowed him to experience
the world in a different way. "So often in a car ... it's about getting
from Point A to Point B."

In 1991, he moved to Wooster and started his career with the fire department, all the while riding his bike.

Married and settled, Walter said he and his wife, Christi, decided to
start a family and wanted to find a way to increase their income so one
of them could stay home with the children. With this, Walter said, the
seed of Groovy Cycleworks was planted.

"We were pretty
disappointed with the tandem we were riding," Walter said, explaining
how it was not strong enough to take the beating of the surfaces they
were riding. Itching to ride something beefier, he described how he and
his wife developed a design for a tougher tandem and had Pennsylvania
custom bike builder Bill Groves put it together.

"I became enamored by the whole process," Walter said.

Eventually convincing Groves to mentor him, he developed his
fabrication skills and Groovy Cycleworks started rolling. Over the
years, he has honed his skills and grown quite the following in the
national and international cycling community. While Walter estimates
only five of six of his bikes are in Ohio, his custom bicycles can be
found in 28 countries.

Walter said his time is been split
between the fire department, Groovy Cycleworks and his family, which
eventually grew to include son Kalten and daughter Emily.

Despite how busy the bike-smith, firefighter and family man may be,
Wooster Fire Chief Roger Brenneman said Walter does not show it at work.

"He is very good about keeping his two lives separate," he said.

As the department's EMS captain, Brenneman said Walter works at making
sure everyone is property trained and prepared to jump into
action.SFlb"He is very dedicated ... anybody will tell you that,"
Brenneman said. "He is meticulous about doing things correctly. That's
why people like his bikes so much."

Cary Wenger of Wooster said
he likes his Groovy Cycleworks bicycle he won in a raffle after a local
mountain bike race. He said his mountain bike, painted with military
grade ceramic paint, is "just right for me."

One time, he said he got on the bike after taking a season off and likened the experience to coming home to a home-cooked meal.

"It felt like a warm bowl of macaroni and cheese," Wenger said. The
attention to details like fit and handling, he said, is what makes his
bicycle special.

With bicycles ranging in prices and even going up to $12,000, Walter said paying attention to detail is important.

Wenger said riders who purchase a bicycle from Walter usually are
experienced cyclists and know exactly what they want. Walter said he
does not mind putting the long hours into making the bicycles perfect.

"There is no room for error," Walter said.

He said he has not been alone in his pursuit of crafting the perfect
custom bike as each family member contributes to the cause.

"It's an interesting dynamic," Walter said.

He said it has allowed them to work together, spend time together and
always have a parent around. While his kids are involved in the
production of the bikes, he said for a long time they did not realize
how far his bicycles have reached.

"It never really hits home to my kids until I go to a show like the North American Hand Built Bike Show."

QUESTIONS...

Hobby: Cycling has shared time with rock/ice climbing and whitewater
kayaking, but as I get older, all have slowly taken a back seat to a
hobby that brings me back to carefree childhood days of simply enjoying
action and imagination; playing pinball.

Favorite food: Though
not born here, Wooster has served as my home longer than any other
place. It would not be "home" without Coccia House pizza and Hartzler's
Chocolate milk.

Favorite place to visit: Whether on the rock
or in the water, no place allows me to feel as serene and one with the
world as the New River Gorge in West Virginia.

My pet peeve is: Mediocrity

Who's tunes are playing: In the CD carousel right now is Morphine, The
Crystal Method, Southern Culture on the Skids, DJ Format, Henry
Rollins, and Cake.

The talent or Superpower I wish I had: The
ability to turn back time and work less, spending more time with my kids
as they grew.

Least favorite chore: Working on old, rusty vehicles...but with two 1992 Volvos on the road, this chore never seems to end.

First Job: I began working as a custodian/janitor for a day care at
the age of 12, three evenings a week. That job ingrained a doctrine of
responsibility and the need to be accountable to not only my employer,
but to my own expectations of success. Can't say I cared much for
cleaning toilets used by pre-schoolers all day long, that was a bit
messy.

Nobody knows I: often struggle with feelings of
failure, as I continually battle with finding time for everything I've
committed to.

Who, living or dead, would you most like to have
dinner with: My grandfather passed away while I was still very young,
but left behind a legacy of self expression though his hand crafted
work; paintings, handmade furniture, and self designed and fabricated
tooling. Although I have glimpses of who he was through these objects, I
would like to opportunity to get to know him as an individual, as I
feel much of who I am has been derived from the person I believe him to
be.

Reporter Thomas Doohan can be reached at 330-287-1635 or tdoohan@the-daily-record.com.

Saturday, July 5, 2014

I hate to ask because I know how busy you are and I know you aren't taking repairs in anymore, but can you maybe take a quick look at Karen's B-side...I knocked over an unused lally column I had in the basement and it dinged the drive side chainstay. No cracks as far as I can tell, but kind of a deep dent. It's certainly not a high end frame, but Karen is kind of attached to it (she named it).

He's right, I am busy and don't do repairs for folks anymore, but since he was in a bad way after crunching his wife's bike and is local, I made an exception. Gave up riding with my daughter tonight, but got it done.

Before:

After:

Paint was removed three inches to either side of the dent so I would not have to breath that stuff when the stay heated up. I had to drill the crease out at both ends using a center drill, then methodically fill the gaping dent using the tig torch and two sticks of stainless filler (used because it flow/feathers out). The area was then filed smooth and a bit of 45% silver was flowed into the uneven areas and sanded.

The paint edges were then sanded for a seamless transition and then primer, color, and clear feathered on to match the existing paint.

Total time - 3 hours.

Hope Karen is happy with her frame and Michael is out of the dog house :)

Sunday, June 29, 2014

At 0800 it was already inching toward 80 degrees and high humidity; I knew it was going to be an epic day.

We had an ambitious plan for the only trail day we've been able to muster up for the Knob this year, to replace the suspension bridge, Rhino three sections of rutted trail, and clear the briar and poison ivy infested section of trail leading to the furnace.

The day started early with Dusty, Kevin and I picking up a butt load of treated lumber from Lowes, the closest supplier to our local...

As we got the tool laden Volvo unloaded and workstations set up, folks started to stream in, enthusiastic to help out. In all, we had about thirty fine folks give up their Saturday to lend a hand, so very appreciated.

Aaron and Chris, our engineers on location, took on the task of directing the pre-fabbed bridge sections, Dusty led a hard core group out into the woods to shape trail, Lorena and Emily grabbed the clippers/machete and bug spray to take on the trimming, Christi was painting, and lots of other folks were giving sweat equity to see the Knob rise to it's promise of greatness. I'll let the pics tell the story...

Aaron screwing in the last of the deck boards...

Frankie checking out the completed suspension bridge...

Reclaimed wood from years of building less than sustainable projects, gonna make a heckuva bonfire for the final race in October...

Christi painting up the vultures on the cabin so they welcome our guests with vibrant colors...

Monday, June 23, 2014

Although the Dually rim is touted as tubeless ready, it does need a bit of sweet tape lovin' to get it nice and tight. Especially if you choose to run the Knard in the lower tpi count, which is NOT considered tubeless ready.

The biggest issue I've found with this rim is that it uses a bead "shelf" rather than a bead seat. The shelf does not grip and hold the bead of the tire, encouraging it to seat into the sidewall and protecting it from lateral loads during riding.

To deal with these issues, here is a strategy that seems to work very efficiently.

First, apply some Stan's yellow tape to the center of the rim, effectively sealing off the spoke holes per standard protocol.

Next up, we are going to create a slight raised section on both sides of the rim to encourage the tire bead to stay in place. I grabbed some Gorilla Duct Tape, a nice heavy and easily applied product, and cut two strips about 4mm wide, placing them around the rim about 4mm from the sidewall. Just enough room for the bead to have a little wiggle room while seating the tire but not so much that a strong lateral force will force the tire off of the bead shelf.

Then cut some tape to the width of the rim, running from sidewall to sidewall with no material moving up the vertical surface. Two strong wraps around is all you need.

Use an Exacto knife to clean out the valve stem hole and insert your tubeless valve stem and tighten down. I was able to easily air these up with a compressor, had to work just a little bit more with a floor pump. I seated them with air only, then added fluid through the valve stem.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

I'm having
difficulty in expressing just how I feel right now; pissed off,
frustrated, sad, hopeless. All because I do not understand the
selfishness of some people.

The Knob has stood as a fun and technical trail
since we began to cut the first single track in 1992. During that time
til now, many endearing features have stood as defining characteristics
of the trail system; the rock tunnel, the cradle, hollowed out log
crossings, the squeeze tree, the gold fish bowl, etc...

While
out prepping for trail work today, I discovered that over the weekend
someone took it upon themselves to cut out one of the two trees that
make "the squeeze" on the trail section that runs parallel to McAfee
road, right before the switch back climbs. This feature has been here
since the start, 22 years, with countless cyclists navigating it's tight
constraints. Now it's just another dumbed down section of trail that
will no longer leave an imprint in a rider's memory of the experience.

We are at a crux. This is private property that has been opened for
public use because we want to share it and allow it to enrich other's
lives. Many have invested time and money in this cause only to be
rewarded each time their tires roll across the Knob's dirt. However,
this blatant disrespect has us reconsidering whether this access is
valued in the community. This action shall not be condoned by
complacency in response.

If you are responsible for this, or
know who is, I'd like to hear from you. Taking responsibility now will
go a long way towards preserving access for all in the immediate future.

One of the many cruxes of this build was fabricating a Rohloff compatible belt cog, as I am a bit rebellious and refuse to send a customer frame out for stiffness testing just so I have the privilege of purchasing a part. So I took an existing cog for hyperglide and created a fixture that held it concentrically in the lathe so that I could machine out the internal section of the cog.

I then machined a 4 point engagement thread into an insert and welded it sequentially into the cog using an aluminum spacer placed in the welding fixture to insure the intended belt line was maintained once the threads of the cog were fully engaged.

The whole shebang was then coated in Cerakote for durability and muted looks.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

The
dull grey sheen of the primer base gently reflects the light from the
window outside the paint booth. A blank canvas, it portends the
embodiment of a personality, a reflection of the rider to be.
Creativity cannot be forced, it must be allowed to spring forth
naturally, in its own time. For two days I've struggled, balancing
artistic desires and contractual necessity, allowing images and
possibilities to flow through my mind, formulating a solution that
exceeds expectations and reaches an exuberant yet speechless response.
Such is the paradigm I am immersed into each time a customer says "do
what you want".

Thursday, April 3, 2014

I've pushed through a few of Mark's two piece yokes recently, in Ti and Steel, so I thought I would share my thoughts on the fabrication process with these.

The Paragon Yoke is a two piece design, with a nicely profiled exterior shape and a relieved interior for lighter weight. It forms a male plug end for the chain stays to fit a .875" x .035" tube and has enough forward material to adjust the overall length of the finished chain stay for a variety of wheel sizes. Originally designed as an elegant and stiff piece to allow 29+ 3.00" wide tires plenty of room without crowding the chain rings, I've also found that it is well suited on smaller width tires when mated with a belt drive chain wheel, which typically takes a bit more real estate.

I've had numerous folks already ask if it is possible to braze the two halves together. The pieces form a meticulous fit with zero gap or room for a brazing material to flow, so I do not feel that brazing is a suitable option to join the two halves reliably. Here is the process I used for tig welding the pieces.

I approached the steel and the Ti using the same process, just to insure uniformity in results. That being said, the first thing I did was fixture the individual pieces to the mill table to be able to create channels for gas flow throughout the yoke. Once clamped securely in place, I ran a .125" ball end mill through the three square/tapped junctions that are found on the inside of the pieces, leaving the solid end sections intact. With the inside now channeled for purging, I mated the two individual sections in the vice, and using a small bit, drilled a single hole in each of the bottom bracket and chain stay ends. The yoke was taken out of the vice, blown out with filtered air, and then surface sanded with 120 grit shop roll. I then hit all the weld areas with a fine stainless wire wheel, a grey Scotchbrite wheel, then scrubbed with soap, water, and a rinse.

Once rinsed, the pieces went into the ultrasonic for 20 minutes at 120 degrees, along with a couple pieces of filler rod. The items come out of the ultrasonic, are rinsed in hot distilled water, then dried in the bake box at 250 degrees.

While drying, I took two simple air needles (like the kind you use for filling up balls) and created a Y shaped purge hose that is attached to a Parker micro valve, for precise control.

With the pieces totally dry, they get a quick wipe with Acetone and then are clamped together for tacking.

I made a quick sketch with dimensions showing the location of the thicker sections of the yoke, and used those reference points for the first tacks, to insure that I could put enough heat into them to hold alignment once the welding really got going, reducing the probability of blowing a hole in the thinner wall of a high dollar piece. I ended up with fourteen tacks in all, working alternately back and forth around the piece to keep it all aligned.

To weld the yoke, there are two primary concerns; seeing the mating line, as the machined surface camouflages it well, and insuring that you can create good gas coverage for the longer beads. I accomplished this by taking two parallels wrapped in foil to protect their surface, clamping them to the yoke, and then placing everything in a vice at a slight upward angle. Fortunately for me, the thickness of the yoke matches the diameter of a #12 cup and lens perfectly, so that you simply have to keep the torch at a right angle in the channel and your electrode will be spot on center to the seam. A little foil at the end of the parallels creates a nice dam. As it is positioned in the vice slightly uphill, as you weld up the channel, the gas will cover your active puddle and slowly dam up and keep a pool of argon present to continue to shield the bead as it cools, allowing for long runs. You can see the basic set up below...the bead is pure silver, though it is reflecting a rare bit of Ohio sunshine from the adjacent window :)

The process is repeated for the interior sections, using the parallels as we go.

Filler rod is added to all the externally mated surfaces. The actual male plug sections that fit into the chain stays were fusion welded to the shoulder, to prevent interference with the tube id.

Of note is the inside profile of the bottom bracket end, it's a bugger to get your torch, filler rod, and still create sufficient shielding at a good torch angle. One of the few drawbacks to the design in Ti.

The most difficult aspect of working with this product is fixturing it so that the mating chain stay tubing can be fabricated for both bend angle and length to the dropout accurately, keeping the yoke square and aligned to the bottom bracket. I machined an aluminum block that fits the yoke profile with slotted bolts to allow fore/aft adjustment on the mitering plate, probably the most time consuming aspect of fabricating with this product.

A steel yoke in the fixture, ready for the next step...

As this product has a fixed shoulder at one end, mating it to plate style dropouts is preferred, as it will allow a little wiggle room at the axle end. If you are a masochist or just really like a challenge use a hooded dropout and be prepared to be able to fabricate a mating tube section that is EXACT in bend angles and length, then replicate it for the other side.

Put some serious heat and filler into the tube/yoke joint, as there is sufficient material to take it.

Other interesting notes....

The 4130 yoke, once welded, is super hard. Two points to adhere to for coping...know the point you'll need to push the cutter through and weld up to that point and not beyond. The hole saw will engage one side of the yoke's profile fairly easily, the other is a bit of a tough job. To get through the more difficult arm, I ran the saw backwards and let the teeth cut a small groove in the surface, then ran the saw forwards, allowing the groove to keep the teeth from wanting to skate or flex.

I choose to use a detail belt sander and smooth off the weld bead on the Ti yokes, as I was planning on masking it to leave the inside face where the tire is located bare, with Cerakote on the rest, the customer's name negatively masked on the outside face to show the polished Ti. Just remember to keep the belt dead flat so that you do not get into the base material...not an easy task.

Welding to the bottom bracket, the inside edges of the yoke arms can be tough to sneak into with a good torch angle. A large cup and screen that allows maximum electrode extension is really nice, giving good access and gas coverage...

So that's about it...now if we could just convince Mark to make a nice piece to fit true Fat Bike tires, that would be SWEET!

Super Hot linkys!

FEEDJIT Live Traffic Map

Followers

About Me

Hey folks, thanks for stopping by. So...what to tell you about Groovy Cycleworks?
Groovy Cycleworks was born back in the heyday of mountain biking, the early 90's, when bright colors, lycra, and cnc parts ruled the roost.
Learning from one of the true engineering masters of cycling, I acquired a love for clean lines, strong designs, and functional elegance.
I've been doing the "custom" thing since 1994; road, mountain, tandem and a full spectrum of forks, stems, etc...
Drop me a line and we'll see if we can build the bike of your dreams.
cheers,
rody